U.S. immigration authorities raided a Hyundai Motor-LG joint plant in Georgia, arresting over 300 Koreans, which foreign media evaluated as a 'self-inflicted wound' by the Trump administration. Critics say the contradictory policy of shouting for a manufacturing revival while driving out the necessary technical workforce threatens not only the Korea-U.S. alliance but also the very growth plans of the U.S. economy.
Just a month ago, U.S. President Donald Trump and President Lee Jae-myung pledged economic cooperation at the White House, but the atmosphere suddenly chilled. On the 6th (local time), The New York Times reported that 'the U.S., which has pressured Korea for billions of dollars in investments, has shocked its ally.' The Washington Post also diagnosed that 'this raid has put the Korea-U.S. relationship to the test.' The Korean government expressed regret, especially over the U.S. publicly releasing videos of Korean workers in handcuffs, stating that 'this occurred at a critical juncture when trust and cooperation between the two leaders must be maintained' and protested through diplomatic channels.
LG Energy Solution instructed its employees, including 47 who were arrested, to either return immediately or stay at their accommodations while on business trips to the U.S. Most business trips to the U.S. have also been suspended. Hyundai Motor announced that there are no directly hired employees among those arrested but stated that they will conduct their own investigation into the compliance of partner companies with laws and regulations. Construction of the plant was immediately halted.
Foreign media point out the fundamental contradictions in the Trump administration's policy. U.S. internet media Axios analyzed that 'this arrest demonstrates the inherent problems between President Trump's policy goals.' Axios quoted an expert saying that 'according to the fundamental economic policy that the Trump administration pursues, corporations should build factories in the U.S.,' and noted that 'immigration enforcement is exterminating high-skilled technicians with the know-how that the U.S. lacks. If all workers are arrested, they cannot build factories.' Currently, the amount Hyundai plans to invest in the U.S. is estimated at $26 billion (about 36 trillion won).
Some argue that the issues stem from the strict visa regulations pursued by the Trump administration. The Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that 'there is a dilemma in which President Trump, while attracting investments, is not issuing enough visas, making it impossible to hire skilled workers on-site.' Since the beginning of the second Trump administration this year, obtaining professional work visas (H-1B) in the U.S. has become significantly more challenging. Consequently, many Korean corporations dispatched technical personnel using short-term work visas (B-1) or the visa waiver program (ESTA).
There are interpretations that this crackdown serves as a warning to not only Korean corporations but also all foreign companies investing in the U.S. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun anticipated that 'the U.S. government's crackdown shows that Asian and other foreign capital factories could also be targets' and noted that 'foreign companies based in the U.S., including Japan, will become increasingly vigilant.'
The fallout from the incident is spreading to the Korean community in the U.S. Concerns have risen among immigrant rights organizations, as well as among legally residing intellectuals and professionals. The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) criticized in an interview with Axios that 'this situation is part of the Trump administration's broad attack on workers and immigrants.'
President Trump claimed regarding this crackdown that 'they were illegal immigrants, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is just doing its job.' However, experts commented that the hardline immigration policy under the banner of 'America First' has led to diplomatic friction with allied countries and has turned into a 'self-inflicted wound' that hampers his core economic pledge to revive manufacturing in the U.S.